Formerly, from the sixteenth century, the Saharan departing from M'Hamid Elghezlan crossed the desert, two times a year in the fall and spring in the form of large caravans of camels to Timbuktu 2000-3000 to 52 days walk or to Niger to engage in trade by trading camels, ... against salt, slaves, or gold. Then after staying there for several months and got rich, they took the way back. While men guided the caravans, the women spun the wool of camels, wove tents, braided ropes needed to fetching water and tanned leather to make sandals. In the nomadic tradition, "the herd, that's life." This is the number of head of cattle which ensures wealth, and power considerations. The trucks have replaced the camel and the borders were closed, the caravan trade no longer exists. The nomads are actually fixed in the region of M'Hamid Elghezlan Algerian border in the early twentieth century. However, some families continue to practice nomadism and sheep and camels.
They transhume from pasture to pasture with the seasons. Others have engaged in tourism activity: in the footsteps of their ancestors, young people are trekking guides and camel drivers on rangelands of the tribe, the golden age of the great nomadic caravan.